Mariners' Josh Naylor out of lineup Sunday with new injury | Notebook
ST. LOUIS - Just as he's heating up, Josh Naylor has to sit down.
The Mariners' $92.5 million first baseman was out of the lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Cardinals because of quad tightness, manager Dan Wilson said.
Naylor stole two bases in the Mariners' 11-9 comeback victory Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium, and after his second steal in the seventh inning he appeared to be in some discomfort, grabbing his right quad just above his knee.
Veteran utility player Connor Joe took Naylor's place in Sunday's lineup, playing first base and batting seventh vs. Cardinals right-hander Michael McGreevy.
Joe had a clutch pinch-hit, two-run single in the eighth inning Saturday off Cardinals closer Riley O'Brien to tie the score at 9-9.
As he's wont to do, Wilson downplayed Naylor's injury Sunday morning.
He's fine. Just a little quad tightness from yesterday," Wilson said. "So a good day to kind of give him a blow. And we wanted to get (Joe) some at-bats too, so it's a good day to get him in there."
Naylor had ranked as the worst hitter in MLB through the first few weeks of the season, but he's picked it up considerably of late.
He was 2 for 5 with those two steals on Saturday - he's a perfect 25 for 25 in stolen-base attempts with the Mariners, dating back to last summer - and he's hitting .480 (12 for 25) over his previous seven games, with two doubles, four RBI, four steals and four walks.
The Mariners have already been without leadoff hitter Brendan Donovan, their best hitter through the season's first few weeks, who remains on the 10-day injured list with a groin strain.
A keepsake for Will Wilson
In his first start for the Mariners, third baseman Will Wilson launched the first home run of his big-league career Saturday on his very first swing of the season.
It was a 384-foot, two-run shot against Cardinals lefty Matthew Liberatore, and it landed in the left-field bleachers just outside the Mariners' bullpen.
Justin Novak, one of the Mariners' bullpen catchers, sprung into action, tracking down the fan who ended up with the home-run ball and starting negotiations to get the ball back.
Eventually, Novak and the fan agreed to a deal: the home-run ball in exchange for three baseballs from the Mariners bullpen, one of which was autographed by all the of the M's relievers. Done deal.
And Wilson got his home-run ball back.
https://twitter.com/MLB/status/2048110679412883753
The Mariners called up Wilson from Triple-A Tacoma when Donovan landed on the IL last week. He was a first-round draft pick in 2019 by the Los Angeles Angels, and he made his MLB debut with Cleveland last season, hitting .192 and a .511 OPS in 91 plate appearances.
The Mariners signed him to a minor-league deal in January, and he made a good impression during spring training.
"He's just a really steady, consistent player," Dan Wilson said. "And to get him in there yesterday and see that from him had to feel really good to do that. Just a great, great moment for him, for sure.
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